tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80200922568101307092024-10-06T22:19:37.645-07:00rare stats about all crops, metals and mineralsThe Sick Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540736292357117755noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-34164517714279585472012-06-11T10:45:00.000-07:002012-06-17T11:51:03.093-07:00

Rising prices pushed a few more countries into the oil business. 125 countries  were producing oil in 2010 vs 115  in 2009. With all new players some countries gave up on their oil ambitions. Paraguay  and Mongolia do not produce any more oil, Panama gave up on  it's 2 barrels a day also, I guess governmental subsidies dried out.  The newbies are 1) El Salvador with

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-21029110552420173652012-01-23T13:35:00.000-08:002012-06-10T10:19:07.855-07:00

Pomegranate is a small tree or a large shrub , native of  Afghanistan . It was grown in gardens  for the last  5000 years or so. Pomegranates were grown  in the famous Hanging Gardens, and, according to some sources  the forbidden fruit   that was used to seduce Eve was in fact pomegranate. Also, it is highly unlikely that   actual  apple fruit&nbsp

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-64249006407435886122011-11-27T17:28:00.000-08:002012-06-17T09:30:41.164-07:00

Sugar beets are originally from the seacoasts of Mediterranean, where the oldest known beet type, the chard, was domesticated about 4 000 years ago. However it was grown mostly for the foliage and it's alleged medicinal values, as varieties with big taproots weren't developed until  200-300 AD in Italy.  Roman gardeners gave us both red and white ( sugar ) beets. Sugar was extracted

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-74776637407913566902011-10-22T13:05:00.000-07:002012-06-11T10:50:06.630-07:00

Agricultural and mineral  commodities at Iron Rye, in alphabetical order: 1) Almonds, Almendras, Prunus dulcis http://ironrye.blogspot.com/2011/01/almonds-almendras-prunus-dulcis.html 2) Apples , Manzana, Malus domesticus http://ironrye.blogspot.com/2011/01/apples-manzana-malus-domestica.html  3) Avocado, Persea Americana http://ironrye.blogspot.com/2011/01/

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-43335543057354348732011-06-03T13:43:00.000-07:002012-06-17T09:31:25.957-07:00

Caffea is a genus consisting of over 90 species, 2 most common species are Caffea arabica and Caffea  canephora ( syn. Caffea robusta ). Coffee trees are natives of Ethiopia, where coffee beans were used since about 800 AD. Coffee as a drink started out in 15th century. In Europe, some of the first  coffee drinkers were  hardcore criminals since  the penalty for drinking

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-15970669413909136882011-06-03T08:27:00.000-07:002012-06-17T09:24:07.896-07:00

Safflower is an annual herb, native of Mediterranean countries and  known to humans at least  for 4000 years. Originally it was grown mainly for it's flowers, a source of yellow and red (carthamin) dyes, though Ancient Chinese were using it's oil for a variety of things, like candle making, etc. Because safflower has a similar color with saffron, it was  often used  to make

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-38682088875985199372011-05-31T18:30:00.000-07:002012-06-17T09:17:05.709-07:00

There are 30 different species in genus Pyrus, with over 3000 cultivars grown today. Pear species are  natives of  many regions of the Old World,  domesticated by Ancient Chinese  3-4 000 years ago. About 2000 years ago, Romans knew over 20 varieties of pears. Pears, according to Homer, are "gifts of the Gods"  and have been an important crop in Roman empire. They are

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-66791043571379198752011-05-08T23:37:00.000-07:002012-09-04T19:47:33.194-07:00

There are 11 species in the genus Pistacea but only one specie, Pistacea vera is grown commercially. It is a small (6-10 m ) tree , native of Iran  and nearby territories that likes dry or very dry  environment  and needs about 1000 hours of temperatures under 45 F. It takes awhile for it to grow, old cultivars were bringing first fruit only at 15th, 17th year, but new

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-40245725090190062552011-04-28T00:46:00.000-07:002012-06-17T09:26:02.821-07:00

Sugarcane is a native of South-East Asia, where it was used at least since  8000 BC. Crystallized sugar is known to man  for about 5 000 years (Indus Valley civilization). Emperor Darius discovered sugar during his wars with several states in India  in 510 BC (" the reed that gives honey without the bees").  Arabs  conquered Persia  in 642 AD  and spread

The Sick Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540736292357117755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-6495689423450792582011-04-08T12:57:00.000-07:002013-02-07T07:29:43.319-08:00

Millets are a group of  annual grass species, 4 or 500 in total that live all over the world. About 10+ of them are used in agriculture since at least 8000 BC, most common is Pearl millet , others are Finger millet, Proso millet, Foxtail millet,  and exotics like  Kodo millet, Little millet, Guinea millet, Japanese barnyard millet, Indian barnyard millet. They grow very well on

The Sick Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540736292357117755noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-36356137295563104312011-03-31T06:24:00.000-07:002012-06-17T09:32:34.866-07:00

Sorghum is a tall grass, native of  Ethiopia or Somali/Eritrea. As early as 1000-1500 BC it was cultivated in India and Pakistan, so I guess we can safely assume  it was domesticated  way before that somewhere in Africa. It is a very drought-resistant crop, and now 109 countries are producing Sorghum commercially. It is number 5 cereal crop and about 500 million people eat it

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-58243445206125716872011-03-14T09:08:00.000-07:002012-06-17T09:36:23.305-07:00

Walnut is a large tree that can live up to 1000 years, native to Central Asia. There were gigantic forests formed almost exclusively by walnut trees (walnut trees excrete toxins that kill other plants  in their vicinity, on e of them is juglone , it does not let the plant breathe) but they all gone now , courtesy of Bronze and Iron Age along with modern logging. Some forests still remain

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-79013191896742206732011-03-13T15:48:00.000-07:002012-06-17T09:36:51.691-07:00

Oil is  such a vast, major topic , that will surely take several articles to cover in ironrye's format. First usage is dated to be around 4000 years ago, but it never really took off till 19th century. Today, oil is produced in  114 countries, and consumed  in  207 countries and territories. As of 2009, there are 41 countries in the world  which are able to produce

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-87454309012656510282011-02-24T00:47:00.000-08:002012-06-17T09:37:25.951-07:00

Platinum nuggets were first discovered in pre-Colombian times, later by Spanish gold diggers in Columbia,(first written account dated 1557) who were really annoyed by its presence. The metal had no use--its high density was used though to fake gold coins.Today these fakes cost by far more than originals. As an element it was discovered in S. America by Ulloa in 1735. In Russia , platinum was

The Sick Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540736292357117755noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-48916526535077422132011-02-12T22:22:00.000-08:002012-06-17T09:37:51.513-07:00

Chicory is a perennial plant native of Europe and North Africa. It was  collected and grown since at least 4000 BC, and it was a popular food item  in ancient Egypt,  Rome and Greece. Now it is used mostly as a coffee substitute, ( a fad started by Napoleon once he blockaded British exports from the Caribs in 1806 , also the sugar  made from beets started  right there,

The Sick Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540736292357117755noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-15081404267797757832011-02-11T18:37:00.000-08:002012-06-17T09:38:15.109-07:00

Cloves are unopened  floral buds of a tropical tree Syzygium aromaticum, native of  Moluccas. Cloves had been an important commodity since at the very least 400 BC. Up to 18th century, you could find some places that would give you  1 kg of gold for 1 kg of cloves. Now, it costs about $2000-5000 per metric ton. 11 countries are producing cloves commercially, and the world

The Sick Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540736292357117755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-7953387408492493772011-02-11T14:27:00.000-08:002012-06-17T09:40:00.358-07:00

Canary seed grass is a native of a Mediterranean region. It is used mostly as a bird food, but  it can be used for  human consumption also. It might cause an esophageal cancer though, if you are not careful, unless you use spike less variety. Microscopic spikes of canary seeds annoy /kill esophageal cells, so their neighbors have to breed faster, and as a result the chance for

The Sick Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540736292357117755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-29659460089166386842011-02-05T13:21:00.000-08:002012-06-17T09:44:23.331-07:00

Kiwi is a native of Southern China, where it was collected from the wild till somebody decided to get serious about 100-120 years ago. Until 1976 New Zealand was the only producer, in 1977 France started to sell it it too. In 1980 USA, Greece and Australia joined them and latest competitors,  Tunisia and Bulgaria started to sell this  fruit in 2003. Now it is grown commercially in 22

The Sick Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540736292357117755noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-27271123283149042402011-02-04T01:02:00.000-08:002012-06-17T09:43:54.999-07:00

Rapeseed is a some weird cross between  (possibly) 2 different species of Brassica family, there are no wild Brassica napus known, though now days  it grows as an invasive specie pretty much everywhere. Nobody knows exactly when did this thing showed up(there is a story  that claims origins of rape to England of 17th century), but rapeseed oil  was first used to service

The Sick Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540736292357117755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-23368816344944018812011-02-03T21:38:00.000-08:002013-03-04T06:43:21.340-08:00

Garlic is a native of Central Asia, domesticated well over 5000 years ago ( by 3000 BC it was already a staple in Egypt). Garlic was an obligatory part of the diet of the pyramid  builders, it along with onions gave them necessary strength  to thrive on otherwise poor diet. Around 1600 BC  this herb got into history officially since in that year  slaves did not get their

The Sick Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540736292357117755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-72086748899077486292011-02-03T19:59:00.000-08:002012-06-17T09:42:59.181-07:00

root of ginger, Zingiber officinale Ginger is a South Asia's native, where it was  grown for at least 3000 years. First known name of Ginger is singabera , which  means "root with horns" in Sanskrit. Traders were bringing this root to European markets for at least 2000 years. Now, Ginger is grown  in 32 countries commercially. The biggest producer (and also consumer ) of ginger

The Sick Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540736292357117755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-2537061148754758492011-01-25T20:59:00.000-08:002012-06-17T09:42:14.572-07:00

Native of Brazil/Paraguay  Pineapple was already present  all over Caribbean islands by the time Columbus reached them in 1492.  Currently 84 countries are growing pineapples commercially. In 2009, 18 448 674 tons were produced,  leaving an average Earthling with 2.71 kg of pineapple to consume. There is enough calories in the crop of 2009 to provide 12.13 million people

The Sick Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540736292357117755noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-90875436008721608662011-01-25T18:49:00.000-08:002012-07-27T03:43:51.572-07:00

A relative of a bean family, Peanut was domesticated around 5000 BC in Peru. Today, 115 countries are growing peanuts commercially. In 2009, world production was 35 520 257 tonnes, leaving an average Earthling with 5.2  kg of peanuts to munch on. Assuming 60% edibility, that is enough to last you over 9 days at 2000 calories a day. World harvest of 2009 could feed 166.4 million people at

The Sick Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540736292357117755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-37912197924652400832011-01-17T22:54:00.000-08:002012-06-17T09:41:13.366-07:00

Apple tree is possibly the first fruit tree cultivated by humans. Originally from Western Asia, now it is grown in 93 countries commercially and has  over 7500 varieties. In 2009,  71 736 938 + tonnes of apples were produced, leaving an average consumer with 10.53 kg of apples to consume. At 52 calories/100g, that would be enough for almost 3 days at 2000 calories a day. Biggest

The Sick Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540736292357117755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8020092256810130709.post-30695339620399994312011-01-17T12:55:00.000-08:002012-06-17T09:40:28.789-07:00

Oat is a native of Middle East, with only scarce populations in Europe, but for some reason it was domesticated  exactly in Europe  around 1500-1000 BC. I guess Middle East  was busy enough with wheat and barley. In 2009, 23 032 118 tonnes of oats were produced, leaving an average  consumer with 3.34 kg of oats to consume. That's enough to feed a small horse for a day,

The Sick Earthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10540736292357117755noreply@blogger.com0